Download 2.3 Kingdom On The Nile Fertile land along the Nile brought early

2.3 Kingdom On The Nile
Fertile land along the Nile brought early peoples to Egypt, and over time, a powerful Egyptian
civilization arose. Farming flourished in the rich soil deposits from annual river floods. The
surrounding desert served as a buffer from frequent invasions. Early governments formed to
organize an irrigation system.
Egypt was made up of two regions. Upper Egypt began at the Nile’s first cataract, or
waterfall, in the south. Lower Egypt covered the Nile’s delta, the triangular marshland where it
emptied into the Mediterranean. About 3100 B.C., King Menes united both regions, forming one
of the world’s first unified states. Though leadership passed from one dynasty, or ruling family,
to another, Egypt generally remained united. Egypt’s history is divided into three main periods:
the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.
During the Old Kingdom, pharaohs, or Egyptian kings, organized a strong central
government and established a bureaucracy, with different jobs and authority levels. A vizier,or
chief minister, was the pharaoh’s chief of government business. The Great Pyramids stand at
Giza today as a lasting reminder of Old Kingdom achievements.
The Middle Kingdom saw unpredictable flooding and rebellion. Yet, strong leaders
expanded farmable lands, dispatched armies into gold-rich Nubia, and sent traders to the Middle
East. However, by about 1700 B.C., foreign invaders, called the Hyksos, conquered the Nile
delta using a new military technology: war chariots.
After more than 100 years of Hyksos rule, powerful Egyptian leaders ushered in the New
Kingdom, an age of expansion. One of these leaders was Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh.
She sent trading expeditions along the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea. Her stepson,
Thutmose III, a great military leader, stretched Egypt’s borders to their greatest extent. Much
later, Ramses II pushed north into Syria. During his reign, Egypt battled the Hittites, but
ultimately signed a peace treaty. This treaty is the oldest surviving document of its kind.
After 1100 B.C., Egyptian civilization slowly declined. The Assyrians and then the
Persians invaded. In 332 B.C., the last Egyptian dynasty ended as Greeks took control. Finally,
in 30 B.C., Roman armies displaced the Greeks.
1. How did Egypt benefit from the Nile River?
2. What is a dynasty?
3. What are the three main periods in Egyptian history?
4. Who was Hatshepsut
5. What do you think caused Egyptian civilization to decline?